I am a Senior Political Contributor at Forbes and the official 'token lefty,' as the title of the page suggests. However, writing from the 'left of center' should not be confused with writing for the left as I often annoy progressives just as much as I upset conservative thinkers. In addition to the pages of Forbes.com, you can find me every Saturday morning on your TV arguing with my more conservative colleagues on "Forbes on Fox" on the Fox News Network and at various other times during the week serving as a liberal talking head on other Fox News and Fox Business Network shows. I also serve as a Democratic strategist with Mercury Public Affairs.

The United States Congress-A Confederacy of Losers

On Sunday, Senator Joe Manchin (L-West Virginia) took to the floor of the United States Senate to issue a dramatic understatement of the obvious, saying, “ It is absolutely inexcusable that all of us find ourselves in this place at this time … with no plan and no apparent hope.”

While Senator Manchin’s remarks were intended to express the frustration and annoyance that so many Americans are feeling today, I note that his comments were ‘understated’ because, were he to actually say what many Americans of all political stripes are feeling, he would have found it completely impossible to avoid using the word ‘losers’ in his presentation.

This is, after all, what the legislative body of the world’s greatest superpower has become—a confederacy of losers.

With less than 24 hours remaining in a fiscal cliff drama that anyone and everyone should, by now, recognize as having become all about a craven need for attention being acted out by a bunch of people all too willing to make us pay for their never having been quite popular enough in high school, it should be clear that—no matter what sort of agreement these folks might manage to concoct before midnight tonight, if any—Congress has failed and failed in truly epic fashion.

Losers.

If you doubt this for a moment, I offer up yesterday’s Sunday morning television talk show circuit as Exhibit A.

On a Sunday morning where every single, solitary elected official drawing a federal paycheck should have been locked inside the U.S. Capitol or the White House busily engaging in the process of finding a solution, there was no shortage of politicians who found time to parade themselves before the cameras for the purpose of repeating accusations of blame that have been overused to the point where the sting of recrimination was long ago lost.

It began with President Obama’s appearance on “Meet the Press” where he devoted far too much of the interview placing the blame for this travesty onto the shoulders of the Congressional Republicans.

As much as I might agree with the President—and I do—I’ve done enough negotiating to know that if you really want to get to a deal, you are going to find it extremely counter-productive to throw accusations and blame into the air during the final hours of the negotiation. Every moment of Obama’s interview would have been better spent selling his fellow Americans on why his approach is the best path for the nation to take.

Naturally, the Congressional Republicans—for whom “maturity” is as much a four-letter word as “compromise”— could not help but take the bait as they fanned out through the TV landscape to hurl accusations at the President.

My favorite pre-school tongue lashing came from the mouth of Senator John Barrasso (L-Wyoming) who, appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union”, treated us to, “The president is doing nothing about the addiction that his administration has to spending. He’s the spender in chief.”

Is anyone else troubled by the fact that this childish bit of overused hyperbole is the best one of our elite group of 100 can muster at a time of national trouble?

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Republicans employed this tactic all through the campaign season; accuse your opponents of your own most egregious actions and motives. If the president has no interest in what you call ‘negotiating’, it’s because he tried it with this bunch, and it didn’t work.

He’s doing what the American people–who were disappointed at the poor return on the repeated negotiations attempted in his first term–have asked him to do. Stand firm and go over the cliff if that’s what it takes. It’s hardly a cliff, anyway, more like a speed bump. The time for softball is past.

As a ‘former republican not yet democrat and wondering what moderate means (FRNYDAWWMM)’ I have to compliment you on your answers from last Friday with Mark Simone on HannityRadio. I have grown to despise the mere sound of Seans voice throughout these last 4 years as he whines on and on about his pet issues. Previously I had never heard of you but you handled his ‘baited’ questions with grace and sport and you came across as informed and balanced in your answers. I agree with the “L” label. I am a Christian that is tired of being pandered to by one side of the aisle primarily based on my pro-life stance and I am just as tired of seeing the other side of the aisle pander to their special interest groups with their narrow focus of allegiance. Grow the middle…I’m sure someone will come up with a slick catchy label for us along the way as the numbers grow. Keep putting it out there…and keep it civil. Democracy without civility informs only oneself.

Thanks for that. I have to admit that I find it easier to have a discussion with Mark than with Sean as Sean does not easily allow opposing points of view without returning the favor with ridicule. Oh well. Hope to see you here more often and have a happy New Year.

Totally. I cannot wait until we get a President CEO in office. Someone with a business degree and credentials running major organi9zations like an energy company or a major league sports team. Somebody with an MBA, who has actually led major private corporations and maybe even had leadership as Governor of a huge state. Man, if we could just get someone so financially literate our country would be saved and never be led to the brink of economic disaster!

Yhis is just one more reason to throw out the so-called “representatives of the people” and find some true “representatives” that are focused only on proven or tested concepts, making decisions based on logic with satisfactory dose of humanity and generosity. They need to be folks who are economically astute, unbiased, with an approach to business that offers no undue support, but understands there must be a balance between businesses and the people and other businesses they interact with.

Do we have candidates? Where are they and how many are there. I just can’t continue supporting the same old Joes.

To continue the sports analogy, in the relay race that is passing bills, the house is the start and the president is the anchor. If you were watching a relay race, and the first person threw the baton on the ground, how could you possibly blame the anchor, even if he was sticking his tongue out the whole way. Now, if they tried to pass the baton and the anchor refused it, you might have a case, but the baton was thrown in the trash when the starter gun went off.

Now, there are commenters here who truly believe in Rush’s characterization of “Barack the Magic” negro that defies all logic and reason with his voodoo magic. It is no wonder they fear a man who can “force” the house not to come up with a bill. A man who scheduled the DNC for an outdoor stadium 3 months before the event KNOWING it would rain, even though weathermen can’t predict three days out. A man so crafty, he pre-ordained his presidency from the womb, arranging for all manner of bureaucracy to fake his birth in the United states. I personally always thought GWB was a little dense, but at least he wasn’t a Warlock!!

Rick is totally right. The world needs a strong America, not one that tears itself apart. Who else is better to be the face of moral justice against the Iranians, North Koreans and economical balance with China in trade issues?

Must there be a tragedy before the leaders learn to cooperate? Must there be a tragedy before they learn to behave like a team. It is a shame how great teams in the 1990s and 1980s could not inspire this congress into writing themselves in history as a progression, a better congress, an unforgettable one. Perhaps they are unforgettable, just utterly abhorred by everyone in the world. Reflection is probably a good item on their 2013 wishlist.

Preach on Rick Ungar! I would like you to know that you have a new fan. I agree with your point of view about the dismal shape Congress is in. Our forefathers would have tossed anyone of these elected officials to the curb and probably would have had them shot for worrying about their own personal needs for self preservation instead of what is truly good for our nation.

As a concerned citizen of The United States, I really don’t care who is or was to blame for our mess that we shamefully find ourselves in. I would tell them all, like I tell my adolescent children, “Just fix it, and if you don’t know what to do, ask for help.”